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Friday, May 28, 2004 12:09am This Time its a Wedding... We're doing another road-trip to Toronto for the weekend. Geez, for the number of times we travel there, we might as well just live there! I suppose I should really be packing right about now. Well, I'm almost good to go. I've packed all the major stuff - a couple dresses and the stilettos. Yup, the same stilettos that require me to keep my flip-flops in the car for when my feet start killing me. Hee! I'm really not sure which dress I'll wear to Gail and Mon's wedding this Saturday afternoon. This is the second wedding in the Gamez family since Jay and I got married. Jessica is the flower girl (her third time) and Jay and I are the candle sponsors (our first time). We're aiming to leave by 6:00am to avoid the holiday rush and to get to my parents place in time to get dressed for the rehearsal dinner. It's going to be a busy weekend again - somehow our weekends in Toronto always end up being insane. Fun, but insane! In other exciting news, the Precious Jewels Adventurer Club was featured in the New Jersey News column of the June 2004 edition of The Visitor. They all worked so hard and deserve to be recognized! I must tear myself away now so I can finish packing and hit the sack. No snooze button allowed in the morning. Have a great Memorial Day weekend everyone! Tuesday, May 25, 2004 2:07pm Auto-Response
Dear Judy, Update: Problems solved! Guest Book and Hit Counter back on track again too! Yay! Monday, May 24, 2004 8:03pm Happy Victoria Day Happy Victoria Day to my Canadian family and friends! Hope you had a great holiday weekend. Jay and I decided to put our cares and worries aside just for today and played like a couple of school kids. After dropping Jessica off at school today, we had a late breakfast and then took in a matinee showing of Troy. I'm not really a huge Greek mythology buff or a big Brad Pitt fan, but I must admit that I'm glad Jay dragged me to watch this one with him. I can't remember the last time he and I did that on a weekday afternoon. I'm a sucker for a good chick-flick and the trailer for The Notebook based on the Nicholas Spark novel certainly has me taking note of its June 25 release. I am so there! Edward called with the good news that Auntie Joven's surgery went well and she's recovering in the ICU. GoDaddy is apparently still having technical difficulties and I can't upload my files. Boo! Sunday, May 23, 2004 7:10pm Frontpage Extensions & Humidity So apparently GoDaddy has been upgrading its servers and during the process some of the Frontpage extensions were effected. I haven't been able to upload my updates since my last post and my hit counter has suddenly gone MIA. And to you web designers / techies gasping in horror, YES my site is designed in MS Frontpage so sue me! I still yet have to learn Dreamweaver and that's where my cousins Ronald and Roger come into play. Hee! This weekend weather has been hot hot hot as in 95 degrees Fahrenheit or 35 degrees Celsius hot. I must practice getting back into the Metric System train of thought...you know just in case! And its humid too. Central air is our savior (although it wasn't Friday afternoon because annoyingly enough all it was doing was spewing out hot air) and humidity is the devil's spawn. The fountain in front of the main gate is on again for the season and the pool is scheduled to open on Memorial Day. Unfortunately, we won't be here since we'll be in Toronto for the long weekend to attend Gail and Mon's wedding. But when we return, I fully intend to get my tan on and take full advantage of the complex amenities until the bitter end. A fun time was had by all at the Quiba residence last night at Earl's 13th birthday party. I also had the pleasure of sitting down to some girl chat with Mags, Aurelle, and Sharmaine. What did we talk about you ask? I'll never tell. Today we had a great time at the piano recital of the Magbanua, Silos, and the Doyle kids in Morristown. These kids have mad skills on the ivory keys. It started pouring buckets during the post-recital reception, but it stopped as quickly as it started. So now its sunny, hot, humid and SOGGY! Yuck! I won't even blog about the boys who are enroute to play some ball. That goes without saying! One word: HARDCORE! Outside of NBA players, I've never seen a bunch live to play as these guys do...and they don't even get paid. I think that the impending news of our possible move may be enough to make these grown men cry! Update: Bon voyage to Auntie Charee and Uncle Abner who left for the Philippines yesterday afternoon for their Maranan-Marasigan clan medical mission in Batangas. Warm thoughts and prayers for Auntie Joven in Loma Linda, California as she undergoes surgery this week to alleviate her Parkinson's. Friday, May 21, 2004 10:24pm Is This Goodbye? Today was Jay's last day at his consulting gig. Its certainly been a mixed bag of emotions but we remain optimistic that there is a plan for us. It will be difficult to say goodbye to the people we've become close to here and the ones we're just beginning to get acquainted with - assuming that it has to come to that of course. We're keeping our options open but its still too early in the game to have any definite answers. I know most of you are holding your breath waiting for yet another "new address email" that I seem to have become famous for over the years. Coincidently, I just recently found out that an old friend whom I haven't seen since childhood lives here in Jersey too. We used to have sleepovers with my cousins way back when they used to live in Scarborough. Then she and her family moved to Alberta and we lost touch. When we were in Toronto a couple weeks ago, my uncle asked me if I still remember her. He gave me her address and I had been meaning to drop her a note in the mail. But then she beat me to the punch with an email this week. We spoke on the phone early in the week and I was amazed at how many little details she remembered from our childhood. We can't wait to get together. The past few weeks have proven to be a time for rekindling relationships. And now it seems that I have an entire delegation of friends and family whom I haven't seen in years reading this blog. How amazing is that! Thursday, May 20, 2004 11:17am Mystery Revealed Well...the cat's out of the hat so I guess it would be alright to blog about it. I've been holding off on blogging about the latest big news because there were some people we wanted to tell directly as opposed to them having to read about it here. The big news is not-so-good news. Jay's contract is expiring and he was advised that it will not be renewed - something about his rates being too high which loosely translates into "we're cheap as hell and we're farming out your job to someone who will be more than happy to work all hours, carry a pager round-the-clock and have no life for peanuts and maybe a few cents". And its a good thing that they gave him an entire week and a day notice - pardon me while I mop up the sarcasm that's dripping here. This recent turn of events reminded us of all the conversations we've had around Em and Dan's dining room table about what we'd do if our TN visas would not be renewed and all the anxieties that go along with that territory. Oops I stand corrected on that - its a work authorization as Dan discussed at length in his recent blog entry. We used to say "we'll just wait for the axe to fall" half jokingly...and perhaps now the axe has indeed fallen. For those of you who aren't in the know about the whole Trade NAFTA work authorization process, its basically one that allows Canadians in specific professions to work in the US provided they have an employment offer from a company this side of the border. It is valid for a year, after which point it must be renewed by returning to Canada and re-entering provided you still have a job and the INS approves your visa. It is definitely a stressful experience, moreso when you are lucky enough to get interrogated by a power-tripping officer who in effect has no clue how to spell the word linguistics. *cough* When we first moved to the US in 2000 - in the heyday of the tech boom - it was under the premise that we would stay in San Francisco for the duration of Jay's one-year contract and then return home. Well...its actually been 4 years and many moves later. Thankfully enough Jay has survived the tech boom bust thus far and has managed to stay fairly recession-proof so to speak. But it always boils down to dollars and cents and corporate bottom lines. Business is business is business! We sought the advice of our parents and some of our close friends when Jay received the offer to consult in the Bay Area. Some thought Jay was completely insane to quit his "full-time permanent" job and that we were crazy to leave our home. [ I thought so too when we got there and found out that rent was more expensive than our mortgage ] But most encouraged us to go for it and I remember my Dad saying "Ride the wave while it's up!" Obviously we took that advice and hopped on that wave for everything it was worth. The world is indeed a much bigger place than the corner you grew up in. There are no regrets and I'm thankful for the adventure, the experiences, the wonderful places we've seen and the people we've met along the way. With that being said, I'm not really sure where this road will lead us. Perhaps this is the end of a chapter in our lives. Perhaps the time is right for me to return to the conventional workforce. There's plenty of perhaps scenarios here - but we wait in good faith. My daughter doesn't think she's quite ready to leave her little buddies here yet and is quite optimistic that "Daddy can work at the new store that's being built across the street from Dunkin Donuts". See how less complicated life is when you're 5 years old! Tuesday, May 18, 2004 12:38am Photo Gallery I haven't been entirely efficient with uploading my digital pics to my gallery. So for those of you who know that patience is indeed a virtue, I've finally posted some photos from Jessica's California vacation and Lolo's funeral. See the Family Gallery for a sampling of the vast collection. Photos are courtesy of my sister. Thanks Cin! Monday, May 17, 2004 10:13am Great Friends Awesome Weather The days seem to be flying by at breakneck speed. Its been a busy weekend with great friends and great weather - except for that freak thunderstorm we got Saturday night. I believe the temps have been warmer here than they have been on the west coast the past few days. This gives me a chance to gloat for a nice change! Hee! The guys were all dying to play ball and since we were out-of-town last weekend they made up for it by playing two nights in a row. And apparently while Jay was sweatin' it out on the court Saturday night, my brother-in-law Norm was whoopin' it up in prime seats at the Lakers Spurs game. Go Lakers! On a sidenote, thanks to Eric and the Esoy family for the beautiful sympathy plant and card. We are blessed by your friendship and kindness. So while the guys were playing ball, Jessica and I joined the bunch at the Flores residence. After inhaling their dinner, the husbands hightailed it to join the other boys at their game already in session. This gave the ladies ample time to catch up and share some laughs. Yesterday was a lazy day so I finally got around to watching Love Actually, which I rented at Blockbuster Friday morning. They say "all you need is love" and I say "love don't pay the bills". Cute movie - if you're into chick-flicks that is! Since we didn't have big plans for the day, Jay called the guys to see if they were up for more ball. Like any of them were going to turn down the opportunity! I think not! Hee! In other news, we're sitting at a crossroads right now and are faced with having to make some very important life-altering decisions very soon. You're probably wondering why I'm talking in code. There will be plenty of time to write all about it soon. Now is not the time. Thursday, May 13, 2004 10:52pm A Season For Everything I've always been a firm believer that things happen for a reason. God's timing is perfect - whether or not I realize it right at the moment. He knows the bigger picture and yet I dig my heels in and kick and scream in resistance much like a stubborn child. 12:17am Silver Linings I believe that even laughter can come out of sad situations. This was apparent last weekend during our recent trip to Toronto. In spite of the fact that the entire family was gathered to grieve the loss of a father, grandfather and great-grandfather, there was also a pervading sense of fun and laughter. This was the first time in many years that all the Dario cousins were all under the same roof. It was wonderful getting to know them all over again. We're all so different in many ways, and yet the same. It's uncanny how we all share the same sense of humor and that we all love to laugh! Unfortunately because of circumstance and geographical distance, we all haven't really spent much time together growing up. We had such a great time around that kitchen table that it was 1:30am before we even noticed the time. Then we spent at least another 20 minutes talking by the front door before we finally called it a night. We had so much to catch up on. I'm the eldest cousin and somehow I feel the responsibility to get the ball rolling on establishing and maintaining a better cousin relationship with all of them. We're certainly not going to wait until the next funeral to get together again. I do believe that a cousin vacation at a great lodge in Whistler is in the works - at least according to Uncle Roy. Ahem! So from this point on, you'll see me make reference to the Dario clan more often in this blog. Hopefully I'll be documenting more family events with them too. I've updated my Links page so be sure to check out the web manga site owned and created by my cousin Ronald. The last time I saw Ronald he was barely older than Jessica is now. And now he's graduating from high school and attending his prom this Friday night. Wow - time certainly flies! He's a very talented artist and does a mean impression of my favorite Filipino comedian Rex Navarrette - "Ronald, come hairrrrr!" Hee! I read his web entry for today and was really quite touched to read that he attributes his love for comics to my late brother Jesse. Speaking of cousins, Rebekah (another Dario cousin) is here visiting. I'm driving her to the airport tomorrow morning to catch her flight back to Toronto before she heads back to Vancouver on Friday morning. I think we're going to be spending a lot more time together - us Dario kids! I'm excited! I'm out to check how many air miles I have! *smile* Wednesday, May 12, 2004 12:02am Family Time & Sleep Deprivation We're back from an emotionally intense emergency trip to Toronto after the passing of my Lolo a week ago. Jessica and I drove with Auntie Charee and Uncle Abner last Thursday morning. It also happened to be Auntie Charee's birthday that day. So our little celebration was in the car talking and sharing funny stories and anecdotes about Lolo. I suppose our stop for a bite at McDonald's along the New York State Thruway could be considered part of that celebration. Jay, Auntie Glo, Liz and Desiree arrived early Saturday morning. Jay enjoyed the experience of being behind the wheel of Auntie Glo's Benz for 8 hours straight. The entire family was in Toronto to pay our final respects. It was nice to see my uncles and cousins from Vancouver. Unfortunately, we don't see each other much outside of weddings and funerals it seems. My sister and brother-in-law were also there. Imagine five families all staying at my parents home! We spent most of Friday and Saturday pouring over Lolo's photos of his travels, his children and grandchildren, and the friends he made when he worked as a school crossing guard. Oh the hairstyles we had back in the day! It was fun to go back in time! The viewing and memorial service was held on Sunday evening at the RS Kane Funeral Home. Being there brought back sad memories of my late brother's funeral and I couldn't help but get emotional just thinking about it. It was a beautiful service coordinated by Pastor Edwin Martin and the members of the Mt. Zion Filipino Church - my parents home church. Some of the grandchildren paid their tributes to Lolo that evening. Jessica sang "For God so Loved the World" in honor of her "Grape-Lolo" as she affectionately referred to him. She got a little shy when she saw all the people and sang it very softly - but she did a great job. After the service, the family all came back to Mom and Dad's house to have dinner. All the cousins sat around Mom's kitchen table and talked for hours and hours re-acquainting ourselves with one another. Most of my memories of my cousin's from my mother's side are of when they were little. Now they're all grown up! It's amazing how time flies. The funeral service was held early Monday morning - damp and overcast. My sister and I, along with our cousins from NYC paid tribute to our grandfather. I thought that I would be able to get through my tribute without crying. I was barely through the first sentence when my voice started to break. Halfway through the service, I noticed that the clouds had broken and that the sun was starting to show through. It turned out to be a beautifully sunny day. Lolo was laid to rest near where my late brother now rests. That too brought back many strong emotions standing in that same place as we all had 6 years ago. This was the first time Jessica has ever attended a funeral. She's been asking a lot of hard questions. She wonders why her Mom, her aunt and her Grandma's were crying. But I think she understands it all - in her own innocent kind of way. It was comforting to see our family and friends join us for the reception after the service. We took a ton of group cousin pictures because we all knew it would be awhile until we would all be in the same room again. Thank you to all our loved ones who took the time to call, send kind emails and cards of condolences, and who dropped by to visit. We are so appreciative that you cut your Mother's Day celebrations short to support us last Sunday. A big thank you to those of you who took Monday off to attend the funeral. We are blessed by your friendship and love! Rest in peace Lolo! Luis Abaya Dario June 26, 1912 - May 4, 2004 Tuesday, May 4, 2004 11:09pm In Memory of Lolo Lolo passed away today. We've known for quite some time that his days were numbered, but when it actually came down to the wire no one was really quite prepared for it. The nurses at the nursing home called my Mom this morning to inform her that he was running a very high temperature and that his breathing was labored. My parents live fairly close by and he was still alive when they got there. Then his breathing just stopped. Lolo lived at our house for as far back as I can remember. Before the Alzheimer's and the ravages of old age, he was strong and independent. He used to cook up some delicious garlic fried rice, tapa and sweet and sour meatballs from scratch. He gave me money every time I brought home good grades and every time he asked me for a ride to the mall. He was a cheerful, friendly man. Eventually due to the Alzheimer's, he stopped recognizing me and anyone else for that matter. But he would still smile and ask my Mom "Who is that beautiful lady?" whenever I went to visit him. The family will be traveling to Toronto within the next day or two to help Mom make the necessary funeral arrangements and to pay our final respects. Rest in peace Lolo! Your cheery smile, your beautiful penmanship, and the love you had for your grandchildren are with me! Monday, May 3, 2004 10:43pm How Not to Be a Leasing Consultant This entry is a full-on gripe about leasing office consultants! Sometimes I wonder what skills you must possess in order to work as one. No doubt at least one of those requirements is that you must be hugely irritating or completely unprofessional...or all of the above! Last Thursday night, I suddenly noticed a dozen or so fruit flies hovering around the end table lamp in our living room. Then I noticed a ton of them buzzing around on our balcony. I guess they were attracted to the light and had somehow gotten in through the screen. It was a warm night so we had our windows and the balcony sliding door open. I don't particularly like bugs so I called Jay over to kill them. We didn't have any bug spray on hand, so he used Windex. Hey man - any old chemical will do. Now that I think about it - I should've asked him to wipe down the window too. Hee! I left a message on the leasing office voicemail to inform them of the problem so that someone could deal with it first thing the following morning. No one returned my call. So I decided to call again mid-afternoon to follow up on my message. I proceeded to explain the problem to the consultant who answered my call - she cut me off mid-sentence and rudely told me that she had already heard the message I left earlier. But of course no one had returned my call so how the heck would I know that! So apparently the maintenance staff in this complex is not responsible for handling this type of problem and that I would have to wait for the exterminator to arrive on Monday morning any time between 10am and 1pm. Well today is Monday and that time has come and gone. I waited at home all morning. No exterminator ever arrived! Grrrr! So I paid a little visit to the leasing office today with a bone to pick and was told by another consultant that my name and unit number had not been on the list. For some reason I wasn't even surprised. If I were The Donald, I would've pulled the famous last words "You're Fired!" I so hate incompetence! 12:10pm Back to School...Again! Today was Jessica's first day back to school after being away for a month. We were a little late, but we got there. After being in the constant company of family for the past several weeks, I think she was a little hesitant about being left at school today. I knew she was trying to delay my leaving when she offered to go back out into the hallway to help me hang her jacket. When I brought her back into the classroom I could see a little pout beginning to form. But it was all sunshine when her favorite teacher Mrs. Carlisle greeted her with a big hug and a chorus of "Hey its Jessica! Yay!" from her little classmates. I'm trying desperately to remember if I was that popular back in the day! And I have the sinking feeling that perhaps I wasn't since I was deathly shy as a kid. As for Jessica - she's far from being shy and that's why she's currently the PR rep for this family. Hee! Sunday, May 2, 2004 11:00pm The Intimates Department I've been busy spending my time with Jessica since her return. Its been fun listening to her stories and unearthing all the treasures she's acquired from her travels. And I've been left with the challenge to figure out where to put all these new toys. Jessica's bedroom can certainly rival the toy department at Target. Hee! My parents spent most of the week with my aunt in NYC and then the weekend here with us. Of course we spent most of last night and all of today shopping. Have I mentioned that my family likes to shop?! Found some great deals in the Intimates Dept. at Bloomie's (did I really just call it the Intimates Dept.?) so my mom bought me an early Mother's Day present - a nice collection of cute Hello Kitty underwear (did I really just tell my entire readership something hugely personal?). Ah well - what's a little personal information among family and friends! I'm an open book! So normal routine as we know it begins tomorrow. Jessica returns to school after being away for almost a month. My parents head back to Toronto. It's been fun for all - but Jessica is really quite adamant that next time she goes on vacation Mom MUST go too! I vote YES on that! |
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